Allow Delhi government to function independently: Kejriwal to PM Modi

New Delhi: Taking his fight against the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked him to allow the Delhi government to function "independently" even as he accused the Centre of trying to run the local administration.

In a letter to Modi, Kejriwal mentioned the posting and transfers made by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and said the elected government must have a say about distribution of work to senior officials.

"In Delhi, Central government is trying to run government unconstitutionally through the Lt Governor. Let Delhi government function independently," Kejriwal said in the letter to Modi.

The letter by Kejriwal to the Prime Minister came a day after both he and Jung took their bitter fight to President Pranab Mukherjee, accusing each other of violating the Constitution and overstepping their respective jurisdictions.

The Lt Governor has been maintaining that he has the power to appoint and transfer the bureaucrats and none of his actions has been "unconstitutional" as was being alleged by the AAP government.

Kejriwal had on Tuesday met Mukherjee along with his deputy Manish Sisodia, who said "LG was functioning as if there is President's Rule in the national capital and there is no elected government here."

The tussle over appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary of Delhi had turned into a full-blown war between the AAP government and Jung with Kejriwal alleging that the LG was trying to take over the administration. Despite Kejriwal's strong opposition, Jung had appointed her to the post on Friday.